Calculate Linux comes as a bootable Stage4 image. When booting from the LiveCD and installing the system on your computer, Calculate Utilities configure it with templates. That's what makes your new system identical to the LiveCD image.

The command line installer accepts options. The existing user accounts will be moved to the new system; as you install from Stage4, the installer proceeds by unpacking. You thus get a complete and running OS in less time.

You can easily change configurations, add or remove default programs by recording all the changes in a custom ISO or updating the squashfs file on your USB Flash. If the latter, all the changes you would have made will be included. For more information please refer to this guide.

You may want to install Calculate Linux from the squashfs image if you have booted from a LiveCD or an USB Flash, or use the ISO you will have put in /var/calculate/linux or /var/calculate/remote/linux. The latter option allows you to install any version of the distribution, of any supported architecture.

The above-mentioned installation tools come out-of-box with Calculate Linux, but they can also be merged separately from the calculate overlay in any Gentoo-based distribution.